The Light that Binds Us
by Quentin99s
Summary: A new character is introduced in the world of LoL. Along the way he meets familiar faces as he searches for answers to not only the past, but his future as well. Comments are appreciated and so are reviews! Thanks :)
1. Chapter 1

Raeliel, The Seraphim.

The night proved to be a warm one; something that was received as a gift to all the people of Northbrooke during the frigid November days. It allowed a day for the children to restlessly play once more before the chilling tide of winter made claim of their small town once more. To let one's self wander before locking up to evade the harsh reality of the late year. Yet even with the freezing cold enveloping their land, the food stores were well bountiful after a prosperous farming season.

From the hill that overlooked the entire town, sat a tower, peering endlessly into the gloom of night. The old ran shackled building was created as a signal to warn the townspeople of invaders during the Great War. At the very top of the tower a bell would be rung three times in a decrescendo, getting louder and louder with each ring. The metal used was a rare type of metal that absorbed sound quite well; it took well over a month for the town to afford such an accommodation. Yet it proved its worth time and time again as the war raged on. It saved the townspeople's their lives many times as the enemies were spotted early, and able to get to safety. When the people returned from hiding, they found their town in ruins. Farming communities were highly targeted in sieges and assaults in order to disrupt the Demacian food supply and weaken the army. Although the town was demolished and the food supplies burned, one building stood despite the destruction it stood amidst. The tower, built from stone in a dazzling spiral pattern from the ground up to symbolize the Demacian capitol, remained unharmed. From this, many folk stories arose as to what prevented its ruin. Some people say that a banshee made the tower its home, and keeps away the Noxian army. Others argue it was Jarvan himself spotted ringing the bell and defending the tower.

Eventually, like the folk tales, the tower began to crumble into the earth, once the Great War was fought. It now remains a beacon of sacrifice the farm people made in the past, in order to preserve the future.

It was from this tower the figure gazed into the stars.

The man, clad in a simple brown tunic and trousers, stood at the balcony that looked out over the town. His eyes shimmered with pain and longing, his face fixed into a small frown. The black hair that hung loosely on his shoulders was tied into a ponytail in order to prevent distractions while he worked. His skin was tanned, making him look weathered and tired, as if he had seen and been through much in his life that no one should have to go through. The wrinkles in his brow only added to the look of concentration and weariness he felt.

The highest floor of the tower was turned into his lab, with manuscripts, textbooks, and alien designs that somewhat resembled a female figurine everywhere around the room. In the middle of the room where the bell once hung now sits a table with random pieces of metal parts made to resemble the human anatomy. A hand with its fingers curled lay on one side, while a torso rested in the middle of the table with the chest open to reveal the empty insides of where a heart should be if it were human. The legs were near the bottom, each the same length as the other, both a dull grey that the rest of the body was colored.

With a sigh the man turned around to scan his lab. Much work needed to be done in order to finish his project. But once it was completely built, he still lacked a proper source of power. Such a machine required much energy to activate. It wasn't just another simple Piltovian robot that could run for a few days on a jolt of electricity. This machine would need something to make it truly alive; to be able to continue its life without replenishing its fuel. _It will be done_ he thought to himself.

He had heard rumors of a town which rested closely to a ley line, a source of magic that he believed could be harnessed into a type of activation energy in order to keep perpetually keep his machine going. He theorized that as long as his machine remained on Earth, the primal magic would keep it alive. This type of magic was quite primal; it proved the demise of many civilizations throughout the ages as their mages tried to tame it into a weapon. Ley magic was intertwined with time itself, thus causing erratic dangers if used improperly. One historian told him the story of the Urtistan desert city and how a mage there tried to use the magic of the ley lines to see the future. While he was able to walk between rifts of time, it left him in a coma that prevented him from saving his city.

He wanted to avoid such a fate, and he believed that the careful steps taken so far will prevent such an accident from occurring. The problem wasn't from containing the magic; he bought a golden heart-shaped box and had it enchanted with negating properties towards magic trying to intervene with the magic inside, and from preventing the magic within to escape. The problem would come from activating the ley line. To activate a ley line, the right amount of sorcery has to be created to balance out the 'locks' on the ley lines. Unfortunately, the ley line that ran through the tower was heavily locked by another mage in order to prevent usage of such power. He himself was no mage, but a simple technician. But like a technician, he had a few tricks he thought he could use. The one time he went to the town was to ask the local Sage if it was to rain soon. The Sage simply told him he saw a storm, but one that this world has never seen. Thinking that a massive storm was coming this way, he locked himself up in the tower and waited, hoping the fury of nature was enough to unlock the ley line's power.

Late into the night, with the starts twinkling overhead, he heard the thunder.

He awoke from his light nap and ran to the balcony and looked to see what was coming. No clouds could be seen in the sky; only millions of stars looked down back at him. Puzzled, he continued to look for the sign of thunder he swore he heard. This night was one of the clearest he had ever experienced; with the moon illuminating the land in all directions. Even in the dead of night he could see for miles all around him. Once again he heard the distant rumble of what he presumed to be thunder overhead in the sky. All he could see were the stars shining above, with the North Star lighting the way for merchants and sailors all over the world. He gripped the balcony with both hands to steady himself and sighed. "If I ever leave, I'm going to teach that blasted fool what a real storm is." He turned around to head back to bed when a sudden though sparked in his brain. _The balcony faces the town, which faces south. The North Star isn't even in this part of the sky!_

He rushed back to the balcony to look above to see that what he presumed to be the great star of the north glowing even brighter than before. It appeared as a miniature sun that flared in the night sky. With a gasp, he realized that it was only growing bigger and brighter by the second, and soon he could the wisps of flame that encompassed the sphere. He immediately ran down the spiraling stairs towards the door and unlocked it to rush outside.

By now the star was hurling towards the ground at such a great speed. He stood in front of the tower and looked up, and only hoped it wouldn't smash the town into ruins. The thunder was even louder now, becoming a roar in his ears as it sped closer and closer to the ground. He realized that if it kept on the same path it was on, it would avoid collision with the town. The only thing that was in pathway was the tower itself. Startled he tried to run back to the tower, but knew he would only be destroyed by the impact of the burning star. He began to run away from the tower and towards the nearby pastures. He found himself standing in the middle of an empty field and watched as the thing most people wished on was about to crush his dreams into rubble. With tears in his eyes, he said, "Damn it! Damn it all!" Anger erupted from him as he began to shout toward the skies, "Is it only me to carry the burdens of a thousand souls in one mind?"

He sunk to his knees and watched in stunned horror as his life's work was about to be destroyed right in front of him. Unable to stand the pain anymore, he gently closed his eyes and breathed in, then out once more. Before he could finish taking the breath it was knocked out of him as the star hurled itself directly into the base of the tower. Pieces of stone and earth erupted into a cloud of debris that spewed several feet into the air. An aftershock erupted, sending the man sprawling on the ground.

Once the debris settled and the smoke cleared, he rose up coughing to survey the damage done. From where he was standing he could see a good portion of the tower missing, but it still remained standing, even if with a limp. He began to run towards the wreckage, dodging pieces of rubble and coughing up the dust in the air. He put his sleeve over his mouth and made his way to the missing piece of the tower to see what was left of the star. He walked carefully to the edge of the crater that was formed from impact and peered into the hole. Expecting to see a meteor of some sort that he viewed in museums as a child, it came to him as a surprise to see only a man lying naked at the center of the crater. He gasped, and began the descent down the hole left by the 'star'. He slid down to the very center and gently touched the being. He remained impassive to the contact, but he was still alive, upon feeling his slow and steady pulse.

While his mind calculated the need to flee from this strange person, his heart was telling him otherwise. He slowly reached down and scooped up the being in his arms, and then hoisted him on his back. The crater in which was created wasn't too steep surprisingly, but it still was a challenge for the scientist to steadily make the climb while carrying another human being on his back.

_But what if this man isn't even human? _He thought to himself.

Once he made it to level ground, he gently slid the person from his shoulder and went in search of something to cover him up. He carefully made his way into the tower, as much of the foundation was destroyed by the meteor's impact. The spiral stairs that led to his workroom were barely held together. The support beams that lead from the wall to the steps themselves were either broken or badly burned.

But he still made his way to the top, taking each step slowly and carefully. Once he got to his workroom, he sighed in relief from knowing that much of it remained unharmed and intact. His diagrams were all still in their place, and his creation remained on the table. He searched around the room for his personal chest in which he kept a few sets of clothes, dinnerware, and some blankets. He grabbed a few blankets and began to descend down the stairs. Before he left he was aware of a soft ticking coming from somewhere. He only shook his head and went down to the strange man still sitting on the ground outside of the tower.

He was still unconscious when he returned to him, but he was also still breathing. The scientist covered him in blankets and sat back down on the ground to observe him. From having just crashed into the ground from wherever he came, he still seemed to be in good condition. He noticed that he was quite masculine; possibly a warrior from another planet. His face was much defined, with a good jaw definition and high cheekbones. His hair was a pale blond color that reminded him of the sand at the beaches from his childhood. But what were strange were his ears that were twice as long as any human ear that grew into a point at the tip of them. He then realized that his whole body structure was different from humans. He was entirely slim, yet built with muscle. It was an almost effeminate type of slim, he noted.

While studying whatever type of creature he was, it began to lightly rain. Cursing, he knew he couldn't leave the stranger outside. He scooped him up once more and began the climb up the stairs. Once at the top, he laid him down in his own bed, which was almost too small for the man. He sat down in a chair that was opposite of the bed and just watched him.

He began to let his mind wander, letting himself take in the events that happened today and what he was to do now that he had to care for himself and another, all while trying to complete his experiment. The thought of his daughter brought back all the happy memories they shared together before the accident took her life from his hands. It would be his duty as a father to see his daughter dance once more.

The combination of nostalgic thoughts and the steady drizzle of rain caused his eyes to grow heavy. His head began to sag as sleep took over his mind and comforted him.

Before he fully fell into a coma of sleep, he heard the ticking again.

It was a soft sound, a clicking almost. Its source was unknown to him but he knew it was in the room. That's when he heard the voice he thought he never would hear again.

"F…Father? Is that you?"

He immediately sat up and ran towards the center table in the room. Looking down at his creation was his creation looking back up at him. The eyes a soft blue that glowed steadily, blinking now and then, with every blink a soft click. Although she was still in pieces, she 'breathed' and was alive.

"Orianna? Can it really be you?" He stuttered as tears began to fill his eyes.

In a cold voice it answered, "Yes father, I am Orianna, your daughter. Where are we?" She asked.

"It's just an old tower; I needed somewhere to fix you. When I'm done, you'll be able to dance for me again. Just like old times." He said to her as he began to piece her together. He started with the remaining arm, working to put into its slot.

"That would be fun, father."


	2. Chapter 2

The fortress, a dark and looming monastery once home to native Ionians wishing to develop their magical affinity, levitated steadily in the silent midnight sky. The stars cast their glow on the spiraling towers that seemed to aim for the heavens, a feature the people of Ionia were very proud of accomplishing. It took many decades of building on such a grand scale; never had it been attempted.

The architects who designed it wanted it to represent the never-ending possibilities with magic. Thus the towering citadels and huge domed center to house practitioners of the arcane.

Never would they think one woman could destroy all that in a single night.

The once lush gardens that were sculpted around the monastery itself now lay barren, dead amongst the erupted earth that formed from when the sorcerer ripped the citadel out of its roots. The rivers that flowed through the canals as an irrigation system now poured upwards into the sky, as though the monastery developed its own gravity once it was free from the ground. The same went for the floating debris that littered the space all around the floating structure. Such magic was thought to be a myth; to be able to alter the physics of the world in such a manner was considered impossible. It was the doubt that fueled her.

She stood outside the vestibule, on the second floor of the main domed structure, intently gazing into the night sky. What she loved most was to watch the endless stars float all around her. How they danced to her every night, an endless song the universe itself. She would hum the tune forever, wishing to be a part of something that truly seemed magical to her. Her long, flowing black gown, mimicked after the early Ionian fashion that the ancient war mages used to wear into battle swayed gently in the midnight breeze. The long silver hair clung loosely past her shoulders, wisps gently caught in the wind. Her mother always said she reminded her of her grandmother, an archmage that once lead a battle in which Ionia won.

Floating gently above the ground, she thought the night seemed a bit odd. The sky was deep and clear, as though she could see for miles into the sky. The air was a comfortable temperature, which was odd with winter being around the corner. But there was something bothering her. A slight twitch in the air.

Lifting her head, she looked around in the night time sky, using her aura as a probe to find the imbalance. She slowly poked around, looking for fractured fluxes in the earth that connected to other fluxes all over Runeterra. These ley lines fascinated her; a magic that is as ancient as the world in which she lived in. How she longed to study the primitive magic that was being channeled all around her, but unable to touch it. She thought of possible theories as to why they were intangible. Perhaps the mages of old locked them away from the chance of being abused. Or perhaps it was similar to starting a fire; it only needed a spark to start the flame. But the power needed to unlock the ley magic had to either be more powerful or equal in order to subdue it. That thought always made her shiver with excitement. The thought of two ancient types of magic working together to balance each other out seemed otherworldly.

She put her concentration into the magic, creating tendrils of dark energy that silently slithered in the air. Her eyes closed, she slowly searched for that glitch in the lines. After a while of probing around, she began to think it was just her imagination.

She began to pull away when she felt the twinge again. It was a slight sensation, similar to the feeling of being watched. She could feel the knot somewhere, as if interference occurred. She concentrated harder and searched deeper into sky. When she felt it again, she looked up. Before her in the black of night was what appeared to be a miniature sun off into the distance. It seemed to be traveling at immense speed towards the ground. The meteor was also very bright, which seemed odd for a piece of space rock.

She focused her aura in that direction, determined to see if it was something else. Even before she could concentrate her power towards the meteor, she was met with some invisible force that prevented her from investigating what it was flying through the air. It was like a brick wall between her and the rock.

_ If that's what it really is _she thought to herself.

Trying harder, she locked her eyes on the meteor and with all her might forced her magic onto the flying object.

Before she could even think her next thought the dark tendrils of magic forcing its way past the invisible barrier suddenly burst into a dazzling display of white fire that danced into the sky. It twirled and twisted, making loops and hills over and over. It kept weaving itself together, forming intricate symbols, none of which Syndra knew. The fire then drove straight into the ground, right where Syndra was standing. She tried shielding herself, but the white magic passed right through her own barrier, bursting once it struck her.

The impact knocked her down, dizzying herself. Raggedly breathing, she carefully got back up and looked around before her. The white fire was now a mere sliver of light, gently swaying against the breeze. Angered by the sudden altercation, she raised her hands and clasped them together quickly. The soft light burst into an array of sparks that showered the ground a few feet away.

After regaining her composure and once again levitating steadily off the ground, she looked in the direction of where the meteor was heading.

_ I'll be damned if I let that go unanswered _she exclaimed to herself.

Turning around towards the entrance into the dome, she called out for her servant Jaxon.

"Jaxon! Get my cloak and a fast horse. I have an errand to run."

Jaxon, a muscular military man and personal body guard for the sorceress, quickly bowed and rushed to ready her things. Syndra stood at the doorway for a moment and paused. Not only was she angry, but she couldn't help feeling excited over what just happened.

_It's been a long time since someone else's magic overpowered my own. And never that easily _she thought to herself.

Turning around, she began her trek to find the meteor from the heavens.


	3. Chapter 3

The night was a starlit wonder, a never-ending beacon to the minds who wander upwards. The air itself was cool, and the wind shifting restlessly across the vast open lands that lay beyond the small village. The old tower that stood defiantly against Father Time now found itself on the verge of destruction as a third of it being decimated by the impact of the fallen meteor. Or what was believed to be the meteor.

The scientist that made the old tower his home worked restlessly for days as to fixing up his once beloved daughter. Still confused on exactly what created enough power to activate her, he believed to be the shock of the falling man making contact with the ancient ley lines that run beneath the tower. Whatever the case, he was only glad to have a daughter once more.

While fixing up her left leg, he began to hum a little tune to help his concentration. The intricacy of each body part must be matched precisely; otherwise Orianna wouldn't have command over that specific part. Or the opposite would happen and she would have control but it wouldn't be the right function. She would go to take a step forward and find herself sending her arms in circles above her head. Although he had it all laid out, he never expected to begin the detailing so early. The arrival of the man proved to one fortuitous, allowing him to begin work right away. But it also proved another problem: What to do with him once he is finished.

He let the man rest on his own bed, and hasn't moved in a week's time. When he wasn't working on putting Orianna back together he was by the side of his bed tending to the mysterious man that fell from the sky. He held no fever, but would shiver violently every now and then. He never spoke a word, except a few mumblings as though a dream or nightmare plagued his mind. The most coherent sentence he could understand was on the third day of his caretaking when he heard him mumble over and over, "Andariel, fall back. It was a trap." He would repeat it over and over, each time with sweat dripping down his face and his brow creasing in worry.

"Father, that tune. It sounds wonderful. Does it have a name?" asked his daughter in a voice that was none too humanlike. Although he built the most human machination, it wasn't without some flaws. He believed that with some practice it would become a little warmer and not so alien. But for now he was content to have a conversation with his child again.

Screwing in a ligament to support to the main 'limb' that connected the leg to the torso, he said while performing his work, "It's just a child's melody all the village kids would sing." Once the final piece was in he screwed what he called the shell back into its place. Sighing in peace at another fixture completed, he stepped back to admire what he created.

The scientist believed that in a sense, she was still beautiful. It may not have been the type of beauty that most people held enviously of others, but it was a beauty that beheld itself within every screw and metal that she was composed of. Her skin was the gleaming silver of maryllion, a type of metal found in the caverns around Zaun. He went there years ago disguised as a very wealthy merchant in desire of the rare metal. Maryllion is resilient against other metals, making it ideal for armor. It was also proven to withstand the brunt of most magical assaults. When found out of its value, the Zaun government immediately claimed its power over the mines that unearthed it from the ground. Using most of it for their own experiments to better their army, only a small portion was allowed for public buying. Thus causing it to be one of the most expensive commodities in that portion of Runeterra. Rumors began swirling of the Demacian government trying to get their hands on just a fraction of the metal to use for their own purposes.

By posing as a wealthy merchant from the native east, he had created a contract with four mining operations to smuggle in the valuable metal, and in return would grant them a portion of the sales that otherwise they would never receive. Although it successfully worked, far more so than he had ever imagined, he felt immensely guilty for deceiving the miners into betraying their own government. He would sometimes have nightmares of being trapped thousands of feet below the surface, seeing nothing and only hearing the wails of the miners who had aided him in his quest for maryllion.

He shrugged off that memory, lest he delve too deeply and lose himself. He decided it was ultimately for the greater good of things, and that their sacrifice was of noble cause.

Being easy to mold, he had no problems re-creating his daughter. He used what gold he had collected over the years to add to her image. Around her waist was an intricate connection of carefully crafted tendrils in the shape of a piece Orianna would always wear when she danced. It looked almost like a web, with the many connections and overlays that completed the look of a dancer.

He tried to give her color, in order to avoid making her life as dull as possible. Her 'hair' would be a vibrant yellow; much like it was when she was living. The eeriest part of her was her eyes. The blue glow that softly emanated itself from the slots he carved into her was unexpected. He couldn't think of any conclusion as to the origin of the glowing. The only answer that could half-satisfy him was the stranger and the role he played into creating Orianna.

The last few days while he was busy working, his daughter would talk endlessly. She seemed to be curious as to how she ended up on an operating table in the middle of a dusty room with her father and a stranger sleeping on the bed. She was very curious about the stranger. She wanted to know who he was and where he came from, and unfortunately her father was in the same predicament as she.

Later in the day while her father worked on her upper torso, Orianna detected a slight change in the stranger's breathing pattern. How she was able to notice such things were beyond her imagination, but she could faintly feel the exhale and inhale from across the room.

"Father, I believe our guest to be waking up once more."

The man looked up from his work and towards the stranger. Sure enough his eyes began to open and he could hear faint groaning. He set his tools down and headed toward the side of the bed. A tray of uneaten food sat untouched on the drawer next to the bed. A simple meal of honey smeared bread, sliced apples, and a jug of water appeared unperturbed. He picked it up, thinking that he was finally ready to eat. The stranger moaned groggily and began to sit up. Slowly he began to sit in an upright position, but suddenly collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

"I don't think you've recovered all your strength, friend" said Orianna's father. "Perhaps you need to rest for a while longer." He sat the tray down and picking up the pitcher carefully raised it to the weary stranger's lips, beckoning him to have a sip. He opened his mouth by just a fraction and began to swallow the water down. It had been at least a few days before he last ate or had something to drink. The scientist was worried that he would never feel better, and then would have the awful duty of disposing the corpse.

Once the man had enough to drink, he laid his head back once more and fell into slumber. Sighing, the scientist sat back against the wall, casually thinking of his next moves. He knew that he couldn't stay here, as the people would begin to wonder whatever happened to the old man who visited the tower. He knew peopled would not take a liking to his daughter, something so foreign to their ideas of what is living.

Closing his eyes, he knew the answer would come to him eventually. It always had. He sometimes liked to believe the little voice inside his head was his departed wife guiding him through his journey.

_ Oh Maria, how I have missed you so._

Before sleep found him as it had the stranger, a loud banging came from below.


	4. Chapter 4

When the banging reverberated once more, the scientist quickly and carefully got up and glided down the steps towards the door. It was well into the night when his visitor began knocking, so he knew it couldn't be some villager. This thought didn't please him.

When he reached the door he stood to one side of it, in case the knocker proved to be some sort of a brute and proceeded to burst the door down. Tentatively he called out, "Who is it?"

He heard laughing, a mixture of heavy coughing and cackling and a voice saying, "Oh come now, have we already forgotten each other?"

The scientist smiled, relieved, and began to unlock the door. When he opened it, in front of him stood an old man, with a slight hunch in his back and countless wrinkles on his face. His face was creased into a smile, showing what little teeth he had left. His wisplike hair was neatly combed back, and he held a staff in one hand and a basket in the other. When the old man saw the scientist, his smile became wider and he said, "It is good to see you again, Martris. I was worried that you might've left without giving a proper goodbye." He began to limp inside the old tower and stood at the edge of the steps looking around. "I was out picking herbs when I noticed that a nasty bit was taken out of the old tower. I feared it to be some bandits so I stayed away for a few days. When I thought the pillagers to be gone I decided to take a trip up here to see if you were gone or worse." For being such an old man, his voice was quite strong and he spoke with fervor that age had not touched.

Martris crossed his arms and shook his head, "No, it wasn't bandits. Although I wish it was something that simple." The old man gave him a quizzical look and Martris continued, "Let me show you."

He guided the old man slowly up the steps, careful not to step on the weak parts where the support beams were destroyed. The stairs were long and the progress was slow. Martris didn't mind however, since when they would reach the top he had no idea what he should say to Erris of the mysterious stranger. Every now and then he could hear Erris mumble about old age sapping his strength when he needed it the most, but eventually they made it upstairs.

"My god, Martris, what is she?" Erris said as his gaze fell upon Martris' daughter. He limped towards Orianna and hovered over her, examining every inch of her.

"That's my project, Erris. Meet Orianna, my daughter." He stood in the corner watching the old medicine man examine his creation. Erris was carefully examining her face when the eyes suddenly opened up and a robotic voice said, "Hello, who are you?" Erris yelped and took a few steps back, then bowed to Orianna.

"My apologies, my lady. It is just I've never seen such a beautiful creature before." Erris said while bowing deeply.

Orianna's face creased into what appeared to be a near human-like smile and said, "Oh, well thank you." She looked away from Erris towards the sky, in a movement that was so similar to embarrassment. Erris walked back towards Martris and quietly spoke, "I don't think I've ever seen such a fascinating creature. Her design is quite intricate, and so humanlike."

Martris beckoned Erris to a chair and they both sat down while Martris spoke, "It took me a long time to design it. I just wanted her to feel and look as humanlike as possible." He began to relate his adventure of bringing his daughter back to life to Erris, who sat listening intensely to every word Martris spoke, occasionally asking questions about parts of his story, like how he came up with such an abundance of maryllion and the process to give her life.

When he came to the question of the maryllion Martris quietly stepped over that question by just making up some wild story of a rich dead uncle. Out of all the people he met, Erris was his favorite. When he arrived at the village a month ago no one would approach him in his quest for living quarters. The whole town gave him menacing looks and cold shoulders. Then one day while sitting at the inn drinking a mug of spiced ale, an old man wandered up and sat beside him. He began by saying he heard of his condition and would be glad to help him. When Martris asked why he would help him, Erris just smiled and said he can recognize a good soul when he sees one. So he informed him of the tower and gave him a pack of clothes that belonged to one of his grandsons and a bundle of food and set him off on his own towards the tower.

Although he felt bad about lying to the kind old man, he couldn't bear for Erris to know the horrible things he has done to get where he is now.

When asked how he supplied such powerful magic to awaken his daughter, Martris told him of the ley lines. When he first mentioned the lines, he noticed Erris seemed to look even more attentive to his words, and appeared agitated. Thinking it just be the quirks of old age, he told him all he knew of ley lines.

"But if ley lines were locked, how did you activate them? You would need enough power to break the locks that were set in place to allow the ley lines to flow freely once more." Erris asked.

Martris sighed and said, "Which brings me to my next episode in my little adventure. Erris, please meet him." He pointed towards his bed where the stranger slept peacefully.

Erris looked over and gasped. He immediately asked Martris of his origins. The scientist began to explain how he fell from the sky and the power of his descent must've destroyed the locking spell on this ley lines. He then told him how he's been asleep like this for three weeks, only occasionally waking up to mumble incessantly to imaginary people.

Erris slowly got up from his chair and walked to stand beside the sleeping stranger. He gazed at the man's face, apparently noticing all the alien features that make him appear not so human. His blue eyes peered intently at the face at rest, and said "What would he say when he woke up?"

Martris was standing on the other side of the bed watching Erris and said, "He seemed to be talking to someone. He would tell them it was a trap, and to fall back."

Erris lifted up the sleeping man's arm, studying his hands, "What was the name?"

"The name? I don't even know if it was a real name, it sounded like he was just slurring his words together. He was probably just in a dream."

The old man gently laid the arm back down and looked over at Martris. "Indeed he was in a dream. That I have no doubt of. The dream itself was most likely the last moments before his travels that led him here."

The scientist cocked his head to the side, trying to recall the name the stranger would mutter. "It was something with an A. Perhaps Andreal, or Andariel, maybe Andor-

"What?" Erris said cutting him off. "What was the second name you said?" His cold blue eyes seemed to be piercing through Martris.

Confused, Martris said, "Andariel. I think that's what it was actually."

Erris gasped and looked back at the stranger. "Mother of Marcella, could it have begun?"

Before Martris could ask what he meant, he felt vibrations gently humming throughout the tower. Puzzled he looked over at Erris. The old medicine man was still gazing intently at the stranger. _Was he not feeling it too?_

The air became thick; so thick that he could barely swallow. It became impossible for him to talk. He waved his hands at Erris, but still he was staring at the stranger. He tried screaming, but no sound would come from his mouth. It was like he became mute, unable to speak, and barely able to breathe. All while this was happening, the vibrations became louder. Martris could feel it throbbing inside his skull, rattling his brain. He tried looking around, but the air was so thick he couldn't move. _Am I going crazy? _ He screamed in his mind.

Without a pause, as though the change in atmospheric pressure didn't affect him, Erris dove towards Martris to the ground while shouting, "Get out the way, boy!"

Before he could react, Martris found himself being tackled by the old man. They rolled towards the opposite of where they once stood. It was while on the ground that the air itself seemed to release its grip on the scientist. With such gusto it changed, knocking the breath out of him. He then heard what sounded like a thunderous snapping noise, and looked over to see a whole side of the tower implode on itself. The brick, stairs, and foundation on that side just collapsed in on itself, and then exploded in a torrent of debris. It was like the tower taking a breath and releasing it with a mighty roar.

Martris' ears were ringing with such a violent explosion. It reminded him of a thousand canons being fired at once. When the dust finally settled, the scientist looked up to see half of the tower gone. Along with the stranger.

Orianna remained in the middle of the room on the table, looking around. "Father, where are you. What's going on?"

Before he could tell his daughter he was okay, he heard another female voice speak with such commanding force.

"I'll give you one minute to get yourselves together and tell me where the meteor is. If you haven't told me when one minute has passed you will all end up as dust in the wind.


	5. Chapter 5

When the dust and debris from the destruction of the tower settled, what once was thought of as a bastion for hope and safeguard now lay in ruins. The only remnants that a tower of 200 years stood there was the base that was unaffected by the implosion. Pieces of it lay scattered across the field; broken furniture and tools here and there.

Groggily, Martris slowly propped himself up against a giant slab of stone that pierced itself into the earth. He noticed the nasty gash on his left arm and searched around for a cloth to help stop the bleeding. Slowly and quietly to avoid detection from their visitor, he began turning over debris in hopes of finding something to help his wound. His head was throbbing, and the scene before him wouldn't stop spinning. He reached out to move a piece of wood that once made up the stairs out of the way, only to find himself gasping as he perceived the wood to be closer than he thought and fell over with a dull thud.

All the energy seemed to be drained from him as he sat there unable to move. When he tried to open his eyes and look around, he noticed a man walking towards him. Or it appeared to be towards him. His mind had such a distortional effect at the moment that he didn't trust anything to be where it is

Erris found the scientist flat on his stomach barely breathing. Limping over to him and kneeling down beside, he opened his leather satchel and rummaged through the vials and tinctures until he found the right one. He pulled out a small vial with an emerald green liquid glowing inside of it. He twisted the cap off and carefully poured the salve on his wounds. He gently rubbed it where the scientist was injured, uttering a chant under his breath while doing so. While whispering his prayer, the wound began to stop bleeding. He said a few more words before putting two of his fingers on his lips, then pressing them on Martris' left arm. When his fingers made contact, new skin began to connect and reconnect over the wound, quickly repairing itself. Erris could see the nerves being rebuilt as the skin sewed itself over his arm.

After he was able to heal the most severe of injuris, Erris picked up Martris by the shoulders and gently put him against the stone slab. While pulling him up he was quickly whispering, "Martris, you have to wake up." He peeked above the piece of tower to quickly scan the scene. He could barely distinguish the woman in black and purple among the nighttime, although he could easily see her long silver hair that flowed past her shoulders. Fires were raging all around him, and the sky itself seemed to be screaming.

_What storm has she brought in her wake? _He thought to himself.

Martris began to slowly awaken, groaning with achy joints as he moved around. He breathed in an opened his eyes, and then looked down at his left arm. Surprised to see it nearly healed, he looked for an answer as to why when he noticed Erris standing beside him.

"Erris" He moaned. "What happened? What is it?" He weakly tried to get himself to his knees to peek over the stone wall as well.

Before he could see the other side Erris quickly pulled him down and harshly whispered, "No! Do not get up. She can't see you. You cannot let her." He looked back towards the figure in the distant shadow and said, "I don't think she knows how many of us are here. If I can convince her that I'm the only one she may cause less destruction." He silently got up and began limping towards the woman.

Martris tried to utter a response, telling him not to be so foolish, but was stifled with a violent cough that overwhelmed him, causing him to fall back down. He tried reaching for Erris, but the old hermit's robes slipped through his weak fingers.

While Erris walked he found his staff in a clutter of debris. Picking it from the rubble, he began to steadily walk to confront their assailant. Before he could take more than twenty steps, a voice rose above the ruin around him and said, "Are you here with the meteor, old man? I gave you one minute to decide your fate. I'm not one with much lenience." Throughout his lifetime he met people that truly shook him to his core, but this voice was more cold and menacing than anything he encountered. For once in his life, he felt unsure if he was making the right decision.

"I'm sorry, my lady" he said as he walked to get a little closer to the origin of such a voice. "But I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else." Erris let a small laugh as he said, "My collection of items from around the world is quite extensive, but even I do not own a meteor as you claim I do."

"You do not fool me, hermit. And you do not want to try and fool me."

When he looked up he found himself not five paces away from the attacker. The first thing he noticed was her Ionian heritage, which showed itself from the slant in her cheeks and eyebrows. He then realized how beautiful she was. Erris knew of princesses who would kill to look half as pretty as she was. It was the types of looks that wars are born from, and it was the type that was just as deadly as war itself. Her violet eyes gave off a glow of their own, adding to the venomous beauty she beheld.

He then realized the steady bobbing she emanated as she kept herself aloft in the air.

"That's interesting." He mumbled to himself.

When she spoke, it was like a snake hissing at him in spite. "Is there something you find strange, hermit?"

Erris could almost feel the bite with every word she venomously said. "It's been a long time since I've seen such an outfit worn by the Ionians. Is it coming back into fashion." He said as he leaned on his staff.

She let a laugh, a mixture of innocence and demonic fury. "No" she said, "I simply hold myself to the same level as my ancestors. Back when people understood the magnitude of magic sorcerers possess back then."

Before Erris could offer a response, she cut in saying, "If you plan to chatter idly then you are climbing up the wrong tree. You still have not given me the meteor."

"Alas" the hermit said, "I am unfortunately here to tell you that you are mistaken. No meteor has fallen here. I've been here all my life and I've yet to see one. Although I'd love to wit-

"Lies!" she shouted, the air becoming noticeably thick. "How dare you stand in front of me thinking you can simply outsmart your way to freedom." She swirled her fingers around while whispering, "Freedom is granted to the dead."

Before Erris could come up with a defense, the air became thicker, as though reality was being compressed inch by inch. That was when he noticed what the woman was doing.

Slowly twisting her fingers, a sphere about the size of a coin appeared. As she was twirling her fingers in circles, the sphere became bigger and bigger. When it reached a noticeable size, Erris noticed the characteristics of it. It was a deep purple, almost a black, with strands of energy encircling it. It swirled in her hands, adjusting its size every now and then, as though it lived and breathed. When he looked into the center of the sphere, he saw something he thought he would never see: nothing. It was like his vision became blurry and fragmented when gazing upon the orb. He first thought his own eyes were closed, but when he realized they were open, he began to wonder what power this woman was manipulating.

"You have one more chance. Tell me what you know before you become ash."


End file.
